HENDRA VIRUS, EQUINE - AUSTRALIA: (QUEENSLAND)

**********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Mon 10 Aug 2009
Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) [edited]



Properties quarantined in Hendra outbreak
-----------------------------------------
Queensland Primary Industries minister Tim Mulherin has confirmed there has
been an outbreak of Hendra virus among horses at a property near
Rockhampton in the state's central region.

A horse stud at Cawarral, east of Rockhampton, was placed in quarantine
after the death of a horse on Saturday [8 Aug 2009]. A neighbouring
property has also been quarantined as a precaution. The deaths of 3 horses
are being investigated.

Stud manager Deb Brown says she is not surprised by the positive Hendra
virus test result, but the death of the horse was upsetting. "Her dying so
suddenly and so violently was a bit of a shock," she said. "The outcome to
me actually wasn't a shock because all the symptoms were there. [Animals
are unable to report how they feel [their symptoms] so we have to rely on
astute observation of clinical signs to make diagnoses. - Mod.TG] "I was
expecting a positive result from these tests."

Ms Brown says strict hygiene measures are in place to try to stop other
horses being affected. "We have to suit up and wash down and mask and
gloves," she said. Three humans have died in 11 previous outbreaks of
Hendra virus, which spreads to horses from flying foxes.

A Brisbane man died of the virus [infection] last year [2008] after
catching it working at a vet clinic in Redlands, on the city's southern
outskirts. His workmate also caught the virus but recovered. The virus,
which can transfer from horses to humans, first emerged in Brisbane 16
years ago and experts say someone can go from having symptoms to being
gravely ill in less than 24 hours. [Symptoms are what people tell us about
how they are feeling and where they hurt. - Mod.TG]

The Australian Animal Health Laboratory is working with an American team on
what they say is a "very promising" vaccine against Hendra virus, suitable
for people and horses.

--
communicated by:
Alexandra Volosinas


[The virus was first isolated in September 1994 from horses by the
Australian Animal Health Laboratory, the Department of Primary Industries
and Fisheries' (DPI&F's) Animal Research Institute, and Queensland Health.
Although originally classified as a _Morbillivirus_, the virus has now been
reclassified and named Hendra virus (HeV), a member of a new genus
(_Henipavirus_) in the family _Paramyxoviridae_. The name Hendra reflects
the name of the Brisbane suburb where the disease was first detected.

Hendra virus can cause a range of clinical signs and should be considered
where there is acute onset, fever, and rapid progression to death
associated with either respiratory or neurological signs. Most cases in
horses are fatal but occasionally a horse will survive the infection. The
reported mortality rate in affected horses is greater than 70 per cent. No
other animal is known to be infected naturally.

A total of 6 cases of human infection have been recorded, of which 3 have
died. Human infections have occurred from handling infected horses (ill
horses and during autopsies), so great care should be taken in regard to
personal protective measures. In particular, contact with blood and other
body fluids (especially respiratory and nasal secretions, saliva, and
urine) and tissues should not occur.

There is no evidence of human-to-human spread or human-to-horse spread of
Hendra virus.

Contamination should be avoided but if it occurs, the contaminated human
skin should be washed thoroughly with soap and water, ideally by taking a
shower. Any cuts or abrasions sustained by a person that becomes exposed or
contaminated should be cleansed thoroughly with soap and water. If
available, an antiseptic with anti-virus action such as povidone-iodine,
iodine tincture, aqueous iodine solution, or alcohol (ethanol) should be
applied after washing.

When Hendra virus is suspected and potential human exposure occurs, medical
advice should be sought.

Portions of this comment have been extracted from
. -
Mod.TG

Rockhampton can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of
Australia at . - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
2008
---
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (07): (QLD) 20080821.2606
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (06): (QLD) 20080820.2592
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (05): (QLD) 20080816.2548
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (04): (QLD) 20080725.2260
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (03): (QLD) 20080720.2201
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (02): (QLD,NSW) 20080717.2168
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia: (QLD) 20080715.2146
Hendra virus, equine - Australia: (Brisbane) 20080708.2076
2007
---
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD) (04): 2nd corr. 20070903.2903
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD) (04): 2nd corr. 20070903.2902
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD) (03): corr. 20070903.2897
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD) (03): corr. 20070903.2896
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD) (02): not 20070831.2871
Hendra virus, human, equine - Australia (QLD): RFI 20070830.2851
2006
---
Hendra virus, equine - Australia (NSW): susp. 20061109.3222
2004
---
Hendra virus - Australia (QLD) 20041214.3307]

.................tg/mj/sh


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“On Earth today, it’s Thanksgiving. If the crew has to eat
synthetic meat loaf, I want it to look like turkey.”



First appeard on "Eideard"

--------------------------

Would synthetic meat be better for us and the planet?


A pioneering group of scientists are working to grow real animal protein in the laboratory, which they not only claim is better for animal welfare, but actually healthier, both for people and the planet. It may sound like science fiction, but this technology to create in-vitro meat could be changing global diets within ten years.

“Cultured meat would have a lot of advantages,” said Jason Matheny of research group New Harvest. “We could precisely control the amount of fat in meat. We could make ground beef with an ideal fatty acid ratio — a hamburger that prevents heart attacks instead of causing them.”

But it isn’t just the possibility of creating designer ground beef with the fat profile of salmon that drives Matheny’s work. Meat and livestock farming is also the source of many human diseases, which he claims would be far less common when the product is raised in laboratory conditions.

“We could reduce the risks of diseases like swine flu, avian flu, ‘mad cow disease’, or contamination from Salmonella,” he told CNN. “We could produce meat in sterile conditions that are impossible in conventional animal farms and slaughterhouses. And when we grow only the meat we can eat, it’s more efficient. There’s no need to grow the whole animal and lose 75 to 95 percent of what we feed it.”

In this context Matheny believes his project could significantly cut the environmental impact of meat production — using much less water and producing far fewer greenhouse gases.

“We could reduce the environmental footprint of meat, which currently contributes more to global warming than the entire transportation sector,” says Matheny.

Between mediocre sci-fi movies and timorous vegetarians it will take an advertising campaign comparable to that which introduced the navel orange – or the hybrid automobile – coupled with lower prices to achieve any success. Not that I’m pressimistic – just cynical.


Just look at how many years we’ve been farting around with irradiated food – always seeking another excuse to put off a cost effective solution to a great deal of food spoilage.


http://eideard.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/would-synthetic-meat-be-better-for-us-and-the-planet

("Happy Cow" Land, Ca.) Beef Packer Recalls 825,769 lbs. of Contaminated Beef GO Beef! Back to the Plant.

Company Recalls 825,769 Lbs Beef For Salmonella -USDA

August 06, 2009: 11:01 AM ET


(Updates to add background on Salmonella)

By Bill Tomson

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that a beef packing facility in Fresno, Calif., is recalling 825,769 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with an antibiotic- resistant form of the Salmonella bacteria.

The recalled ground beef products produced by Beef Packers, Inc., "may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis" in Colorado. The company is recalling the ground beef it sent to Colorado, Arizona, Utah and sold in California, according to a USDA announcement.

Beef Packers Inc. is owned by Cargill Inc.

It is the Newport strain of Salmonella that was linked to production at the California facility, the USDA said.

This strain "is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals," the USDA said. "The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours."

This is the second USDA announcement in about two weeks of a ground beef recall tied to the outbreak of an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella. On July 23 the USDA released a notice of a 466,236-pound recall by the King Soopers grocery store due to contamination of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104.

King Soopers is a division of The Kroger Co. (KR).

There are 15 illnesses so far linked to the King Soopers recall, six of which resulted in hospitalization, according to Shaun Cosgrove, an epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

All of those cases were discovered in Colorado although King Soopers - a Colorado-based store - recalled beef sent to several states.

Illnesses in Colorado were also behind the Beef Packers Inc. recall, the USDA said Thursday, but did not say how many.

A recently released study by the USDA's Agriculture Research Service estimated total Salmonella prevalence in ground beef in U.S. packing plants at 4.2%, substantially more than the USDA's food safety agency estimate of 2.4%. The ARS study showed a 0.6% prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, such as the Newport and Typhimurium strains.

-By Bill Tomson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-646-0088; bill.tomson@dowjones.com

(Les Aldrich contributed to this story)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
08-06-09 1101ET

ANTHRAX, BOVINE - USA: (SOUTH DAKOTA)

ANTHRAX, BOVINE - USA: (SOUTH DAKOTA)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 3 Aug 2009
Source: South Dakota Animal Industry Board news release [edited]



Anthrax has been confirmed in South Dakota for the 1st time this year
[2009]. A total of 5 yearling calves were lost in a herd of 250
unvaccinated animals in Corson and Dewey Counties.

Anthrax is a very serious quarantinable disease because it can cause
the rapid loss of a large number of animals in a very short time.
Often, animals are found dead with no illness detected. Strict
enforcement of quarantines and proper burning and burying of
carcasses from cattle suspected to have died from anthrax is
important to prevent further soil contamination with the bacterial spores.

Producers should consult their veterinarians and vaccinate their
livestock, if deemed appropriate. "It would make good sense to
continue to vaccinate cattle and other livestock in the area for the
next several years," states Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, State Veterinarian.

Dr. Oedekoven reports that anthrax spores survive indefinitely in
contaminated soil and that much of South Dakota has the potential of
experiencing an outbreak. Significant climate change, such as
drought, floods, and winds can expose anthrax spores to grazing
livestock. Alkaline soils, high humidity and high temperatures
present conditions for anthrax spores to vegetate and become
infectious to grazing livestock.

--
Communicated by:
Dustin Oedekoven, DVM, State Veterinarian
SD Animal Industry Board
411 South Fort Street,
Pierre, SD 57501-4503


[A news report is available at:
which adds little
to the above official report. Corson and Dewey are adjoining counties
in north central South Dakota. - Mod.MHJ]

[A map showing the location of South Dakota is available at:
- CopyEd.EJP]

******
[2]
Date: 4 Aug 2009
From: Dustin Oedekoven, DVM



RE: Anthrax confirmed in death of SD cattle
-------------------------------------------
The current outbreak has affected 5 yearling heifers (about 16 months
old) out of 250 head that were pastured on the site of a previous
outbreak in 2005. These animals were not vaccinated, despite
recommendations to do so.

Anthrax was suspected by the herd veterinarian, who submitted samples
to the state veterinary diagnostic lab prior to notifying me, so the
Navy test kits were not employed in this case.

--
Dustin Oedekoven, DVM
State Veterinarian
South Dakota Animal Industry Board


[Many thanks to Dustin for this valuable and quick reply to my
request for information. Obviously these 5 heifers grazed together
and found that one place with contaminated soil from 2005. - Mod.MHJ]

[see also:
2008
----
Anthrax, bovine - USA (05): (SD), corr. 20080818.2570
Anthrax, bovine - USA (05): (SD), corr. 20080818.2569
Anthrax, bovine - USA (05): (SD) 20080817.2559
Anthrax, bovine - USA (04): (SD) 20080726.2280
Anthrax, bovine - USA (03): (SD) 20080724.2257
2007
----
Anthrax, bovine - USA (SD) (02): severe heat stress 20070727.2427
Anthrax, bovine - USA (SD) 20070426.1363
2006
----
Anthrax, bison, bovine - USA (SD)(02) 20060817.2300
Anthrax, bison, bovine - USA (SD) 20060724.2044
2005
----
Anthrax, bison, bovine - USA (SD)(03) 20050817.2412
Anthrax, bison, bovine - USA (SD)(02) 20050729.2211
Anthrax, bison, bovine - USA (SD) 20050724.2130
2004
----
Anthrax, bovine - USA (SD) 20040731.2090
2003
----
Anthrax, cattle - USA (SD) (02) 20030911.2287]
....................dk/mhj/ejp/dk

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EEE in Georgia / Tift Co.

EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS, EQUINE - USA (08): (GEORGIA)
*********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 31 Jul 2009
Source: Moultrie Observer [edited]



Deadly horse disease found in Tift County
-----------------------------------------
A total of 2 confirmed and several suspected cases of Eastern equine
encephalitis, a deadly disease in horses that is transferred through
mosquito bites, have been found in the Tift area during the past week
[27-31 Jul 2009].

"We've had 2 calls that were really bad. One horse broke through his
fence and was running through a trailer park very disoriented,
convulsing, and had to be put down. It was really sad. The next day,
we got a call on a horse down on the opposite side of the county. We
thought he had colic but he ended up going through the same thing,"
said Regenia Wells, director of the Tifton-Tift County Animal Shelter.

Equine encephalitis is a virus endemic to the bird population but is
transferred to horses through the bite of mosquitoes. Horses are
considered a "dead-end" host and cannot pass the virus on to other
horses or humans.

Angie McDaniel, a veterinarian at Branch's Veterinary Clinic, said
clinical signs of equine encephalitis include severe depression
characterized by an unwillingness to eat or drink; ataxia, a weakness
in the hind limbs; confusion, circling or stumbling; and
head-pressing, a behavior that involves the animals walking up to
fences or trees and putting their heads against it.

"Eastern equine encephalitis, which is what we are seeing at this
time, is about 90 percent fatal. It's so dangerous because there is
no real treatment; that's why it's so important to have your animal
vaccinated," McDaniel said.

The vaccination can be administered in foals as young as 3 months old
as a 2-part shot.

"After their 1st vaccination, we recommend that horses are vaccinated
twice a year, or 3 times during an outbreak. It's a wonderful
preventative," McDaniel said.

Wells said that Tift County has stepped up its mosquito spraying
schedule and that she notifies county staff about areas of concern
regarding animals.

[Byline: Chivaun Perez]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a serious and usually fatal
disease in horses. It is easily prevented by vaccinations. Because of
the long period of warm weather in the southern portion of the US,
which allows mosquitoes to be active for a longer portion of time,
vaccination is recommended at least 2 times during the year. The
protection against EEE drops rapidly and must be given every 6 months
or every 4 months to provide complete protection to your horse. The
vaccination, including a veterinarian's services are small compared
to losing the investment of the horse. - Mod.TG]

[see also:
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (07): (NC), chicken 20090727.2646
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (06): (TX) 20090718.2558
Eastern equine enceph., equine, emus 2008 - Canada: (QC),
background 20090715.2528
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (05): (MO, VA) 20090714.2507
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (04): (FL, LA) 20090709.2454
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (03): (FL) 20090701.2378
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (02): (LA) 20090627.2332
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA: (GA) 20090613.2197]
....................tg/ejp/mpp

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ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
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